Chicago cop bitten by K-9 during robbery investigation

The officer was bitten while apprehending a robber, who was shot in the arm by police

By Carlos Sadovi
Chicago Tribune

CHICAGO — A Chicago police officer was injured this morning after she was bitten by a dog during an armed robbery investigation that nabbed several people in the North Park neighborhood, officials said.

The female officer was taken to Swedish Covenant Hospital for non-life threatening injuries, said Chicago Police Department News Affairs Officer John Mirabelli.

The officer was one of several canine unit officers who responded. She was bitten by one of the unit's dogs, Mirabelli said.

The officer was responding with other police to the area on the Northwest Side at about 3:45 a.m. when a woman was robbed at gun point by three people in a dark colored SUV on the 4500 block of North Christiana Avenue in the Albany Park neighborhood, Mirabelli said.

The robbers saw the victim on the street, left the SUV and demanded her valuables at gun point, Mirabelli said.

During the robbery, one of the offenders fired a gun, striking the woman. She sustained a graze wound to her neck and was taken to Swedish Covenant Hospital for a non-life threatening injury.

After robbing the woman, the robbers fled the area in the SUV and Albany Park District police officers along with a canine unit responded, Mirabelli said.

A short time later, police spotted the SUV on the 5300 block of North Kimball Avenue in the North Park neighborhood and pulled the vehicle over, Mirabelli said.

At that point, police took two of the three people in custody, Mirabelli said.

The third offender fled from the scene, causing police along with several canine officers to begin searching the area.

A canine officer found the person hiding on the 5400 block of North Spaulding Avenue. The offender, who was armed, brandished a handgun at police, Mirabelli said. The officers, in fear for their safety, fired at the offender striking him in the arm, Mirabelli said.

The canine officer was injured as police were trying to apprehend the the third person, officials said.

The offender is at Swedish Covenant Hospital where his condition had stabilized.